Suction cleaner



`Marh 2, 1943.` ""P. T. HAHN sUcTIoN CLEANER Filed March 17, 1941 's shets-snegt 1 Zv'Hallm AvroRNEY 1 A Paul MarchA 2, 1943. P. 1'. HAHN l SUcTIoN CLEANER Filed March 17. 1941 3 sheets-sheet 2 T ..N E V Paul zHa/m March 2, 1943.

P. T. HAHN SUCTION CLEANER Filed March 17, 1941 's sheets-Sheet s INVENTOR PaulA Z [faim ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 2, 1943 2,312,641 sUc'rroN CLEANER Paul T. Hahmnetmic, Miou, assigner te The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a. corporation of Ohio Application March 17, 1941, Serial No. 383,684

Y a chamber extending the fun width of the body 7 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in suction cleaners and more particularly to an improved fan chamber construction for suction cleaners and characterized particularly by the tting into a fan chamber cavity formed in the cast metal casing of the cleaner body, of a complete sheet metal lining or housing consisting of a recessed lower section and a substantially flat top or cover section, the latter forming also a support for the motor.

The object of the present invention is to provide a fan chamber construction having a removable sheet metal lining of ample wear resisting properties calculated to last throughout a long period of hard service and then to be renewed as an expedient for prolonging the life of the cleaner.

And a further object of the invention is to provide a novel construction that will insurea tight joint between the two sections of the sheet metal fan chamber housing and particularly, one that will prevent pins and other pointed objects from becoming wedged into the crevice which otherwise would mark the joining of these sections.

Further structural advantages of the fan chamber construction will hereinafter be brought out in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a general-view in side elevation of a suction cleaner embodying the improved fan chamber construction, with portions`of the main casting and motor cover brokennaway to show the details of the construction;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the main cast-- ing of the cleaner with the motor, motor cover, and top section of the removable. fan chamber housing removed; Figure 3 is a perspective view of the' top section of the fan chamber housing removed from the cleaner assembly and showing the handle supporting bracket riveted thereto;

- Figure 4 is a perspective view of the lower or main section of the fan chamberhousing removed from the fan chamber cavity in the main casting; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed view in cross and opening downwardly in a. suction vmouth 3a.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, the top surface of the main casingl I is recessed throughout almost its entire area, this shallowrecess or cavity 4 being defined by narrow marginal portions'extending across the rear, alongthe sides and well forward to a point substantially midway the width of the nozzle v3. f

Located centrally of the recess 4 is a ldeeper recess or cavity 5 generally circular in shape, but actually the outer margin of this cavity is slightly eccentric to a. circular opening 6 in the bottom wall of the cavity and which is. located symmetrically with respect to the center of the casing This opening 6 is the inlet to the fan chamber from/an air passage 1l leading rearsection taken through the edgeof the fan chamn ber to show the sealed joint between the sections of the fan chamber housing.

The suction cleaner herein disclosed comprises generally, a somewhat shallow body or main cas-I ing l of cast metal mounted upon pairs of front and rear wheels 2, 2 and including a nozzle portion 3 at its forward end and having the form of wardly from the nozzle chamber 3 beneath the fan chamber cavity 5, and formed in part by a removable bottom plate 8 fitting around the inlet opening 6 and extending forwardly to and' forming `the rear edge or lip of the suction mouth 3a, as showngln Figure 1.

Fitting snugly into the fan chamber cavity 5 is the lower recessed section 9 ofthe removable fan chamber housing with marginal flanges seating nush around the rim ofthe cavity. And seating over the lower section 9 is a substantially flat top section' I0 vwhich not'only forms the top wall' of the ian chamber but also a support or base plate for an electric motor Il preferably constructed with a solid fr'ame 'Ila of Bakelite or like molded plastic material,"seating directly 'uponv the cover'section l0 of the ian chamber housing.' i V As' is the common construction in suction cleaners of 'the type herein disclosed,` the" motor has direct driving connection with a fan l2 Ioca'ted in the fan chamber, said fan being of the conventional type with radially arranged blades l2a depending from =a solid disc I2b seating within a. shallow recess in the bottomwall of the motor frame i la with a minimum of clearance between in order to prevent dirt from working its way into the motor bearings. 'l

Now, to complete the cleaner structure, a cover 'i3 extends over the motor and the recess 4 in the top surface of the main casing l. And supported adjacent the rear end of the main casing l is a. handle l5 by which the cleaner is maneuvered i ment has been adopted because the cover section I extends rearwardly some distance beyond the motor frame IIa, bridging the gap between the same and the extreme rear end portion of the main casing that forms the outlet passage 5a from the fan chamber, as well as the flanged outlet connection I6 to which is removably attached the usualfilter bag I1 supported beneath the handle I4. Incidentally, associated with the handle supporting bracket I5 is a handle positioning mechanism consisting generally of a footoperated release lever I8 coacting with spaced notches in the edge of the pivoted handle mounting member to lock the handle in various angular positions. But since this mechanism forms no part of the present improvement, further discussion of this feature will be omitted.

Referring now more in detail to the structural features of the sheet metal removable and replaceable fan chamber housing or lining, both the bottom and top sections are stampings of a suitable quality of sheet steel. The lower or cavity forming section 9 is formed with an annular opening 9a in 4its bottom Wall having a diameter slightly greater than that of the inlet opening 6 in the bottom wall of the fan chamber cavity just below. Thus the bottom of the section` is centered on a shallow shoulder 6a surrounding the opening 6 as shown in Figure 1. 'Ihe upper marginal portions of the side wall of the lower section 9 are bent outwardly and horizontally to form the flanges 9b, 9b of a somewhat irregular outline or marginal contour. Moreover, there is a break of some width in the side wall that registers with and defines the entrance into the exhaust passage 5a leading rearwardly to the exhaust outlet and the filter bag'I'I. And finally, surrounding the inner surface of the side walls of the section 9 is a narrow steel band I9 of a thickness slightly greater than' that of the section itself. This band is preferably welded in place with its upper edge spacedjust a fraction of an inch below the top surface of the marginal flanges 9b, 9b, thus forming in effect a seat for the top cover section I0 which itself is formed with a shallow recess or seat for the base of the motor frame IIa.

As shown in Figure 2, the edges of the marginal flanges 9b, 9b of the lower fan chamber section 9 conform to the arrangement of the space within the cavity 4 in the top surface of the casing I, but for the purpose of this disclosure their exact contour is of no particular importancebeyond the fact that they seat around the fan chamber cavity 5 and have a number of holes 9c punched therein which not only register with corresponding tapped bosses Ia in the casing wall but also with holes IIIb in the marginal portions of the cover section I0, which is practically a counterpart ofthe lower or cavity forming section 9, except that it is substantially flat.

In assembling the top and bottom sections into the fan chamber cavity- 5, a gasket 20 is preferably inserted between the contacting flanges 9b of the lower section and the marginal portions I0a of the cover section and then they are anchored securely to the main` casing I by inserting screws 2| through the `registering holes and into the'tapped bosses'la (Figure 5). In this assembly operation it will be noted particularly that the under face of the section I0 is brought flush against the upper' edge of the band I9 extending around the side wall of the.

lower section 9,'this meeting of the band with the top section l0 forming a perfectly tight joint sealing the crevice which otherwise would be formed between the overlying marginal portions of the two sections and offering a place of lodgment for tacks, pins and other pointed objects picked up by the rcleaner in operation.

From the foregoing discussion, therefore, it will be seen that the inner surface of the fan chamber is lined throughout with sheet metal of a superior wear resisting quality, affording complete protection against the abrasive action of the dirt particleswhereas heretofore such protection has been confined to the side walls of the fan chamber. Moreover, the assembled stampings constitute a complete fan chamber housing which can be installed as a unit to replace one that has become worn out in service. And finally, the assembly of the fan chamber housing in two sections with a metal sealing band effectively eliminates the possibility of fouling by pointed objects being caught and held in the fan chamber. t

And now,'having vfully set forth herein the novel structural features embodyingthe invention, I claim.:

I claim:

1. In a suction cleaner of the type employing a fan driven by an electric motor, the combination of a cleaner body having an open-mouth cavity defined by side and bottom walls, a liner removably nested in said cavity and having a laterally extending marginal flange resting on said body for removably supporting said liner in said cavity, and a motor support resting on said body, amotor on said support, said support, motor and liner cooperating to define a fan chamber, said motor operating a fan in said fan chamber.

2. In a suction cleaner of the type employing a fan driven by an electric motor, the combination of a cleaner body having an open-mouth cavity and part of an exhaust passageway defined by side and bottom walls, a liner removably nested in said cavity and said part of said exhaust passageway and having a laterally extending marginal flange resting on said body for removably supporting said liner in said cavity and exhaust passageway, and a motor support resting on said body, a motor on said support, said support, motor and liner cooperating to define a fan chamber and to complete the exhaust passageway, said motor operating a fan in said fan chamber.

3. In a suction cleaner of the type employing a fan driven by an electric motor, the combination of a cleaner body having an open-mouth cavity, a liner removably nestedin said .cavity and having a laterally extending marginal flange resting on said body for removably supporting said liner in said cavity, a motor support overlying said cavity and supported by said body, said liner and support defining a fan chamber, a member along the inner surface of said liner adjacent said marginal flange contacting the underside of said support to form a pin-tight joint therebetween, and a motor on said support for operating a fan in said chamber.

4. In a suction cleaner employing a motor driven fan, the combination of a cleaner body having an open-mouth cavity defined by side and bottom walls, a liner nested in said cavity and having bottom and side walls conforming substantially to said cavity, said liner having a flange extending outwardly from its side Wall and resting on said body to removably support said liner in said cavity, a cover closing said cavity to form with said liner a fan chamber, and a motor on said cover for operating a fan in said chamber.

5. In a suction cleaner of the type employing a fan driven by an electric motor, the combination of a cleaner body having part of a ian chamber therein, a cover to complete said fan chamber, said cover being removably mounted on said cleaner body, a motor supported on said cover, a bracket supported on said cover rearwardly of said motor for pivotally supporting a cleaner handle, said motor and handle bracket being removable as a unit from said cleaner body upon removal of said cover, and a fan in said chamber operated by said motor.

6. In a suction cleaner of the type employing a fan driven by an electric motor, the combination of a cleaner body having an open-mouth cavity defined by side and bottom walls to form the base walls of a fan chamber, a liner removably nested in said cavity to line said base walls of said fan chamber, a laterally extending marginal flange on said liner resting on said body for removably supporting said liner in said cavity, said open? mouth of said cavity and said marginal ange of said liner permitting removal of said liner by a straight line pull on the latter to replace the liner, and a motor on said body for operating a fan in the lined fan chamber.

7. In a suction cleaner of the type employin 'a fan driven by an electric motor, the combination of a. cleaner body having an open-mouth cavity defined by side and bottom walls to form the base Walls of a fan chamber, a liner removably nested in said cavity to line said base walls of said fan chamber, a laterally extendingmarginal iiange on said liner resting on said body for removably. supporting said liner in said cavity,V

said open-mouth of said cavity and said marginal flange on said liner permitting removal of said liner by a straight line pull on the latter to replace the hner, a member along the inner surface of saidliner adjacent said marginal ange, a motor support removably resting on said body and on said member to'iorm a pin-tight joint zoftherebetvveen, and a motor on said support, for

.operating a fan in the lined ian chamber.

PAUL T. HAHN. 

